


Last Chance

by Captain_Susanne



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Desire, Emotions, F/M, Happy Ending, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 14:08:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17530151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Susanne/pseuds/Captain_Susanne
Summary: This story starts with the last seconds of "Endgame" and tells what happened in the following two years after Voyager´s arrival in the Alpha Quadrant.





	Last Chance

**Author's Note:**

> Finally I could publish it thanks to the help of two ladies:  
> IndianSummer, thank you for reading over the storyline and giving me a few advices which made the storyline nearly perfect :)  
> Manalyzer, thank you so much being my beta and editing the story within warp speed :)
> 
> This story was inspired by the song "Say something" by A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera and is part of the VAMB song challenge 2019.
> 
> Disclaimer: CBS owns Star Trek Voyager and its characters. No infringement intended. Only the idea of the story is mine.

A few minutes had passed since Voyager had arrived in the Alpha Quadrant. Kathryn Janeway had announced their homecoming to Admiral Paris and ended the comline as the sound of a crying baby rang out through the bridge.

“You'd better get down there, Tom.” A smile covered her face as Kathryn looked at her helmsman. 

“Yes, ma'am.”, came the voice of the astonished man who just realized that a new chapter of his life had started. 

Tom, overwhelmed with emotions, left the bridge quickly. Kathryn turned around and changed the line of her gaze to Chakotay, who stood behind his commanding chair at the small secondary tactical console together with Seven.

Kathryn´s facial expression changed the moment she saw the couple together only some millimeters apart from each other. 

“Mister Chakotay, the helm.” With a gesture of her hand she ordered him to the helm. 

“Aye, Captain.” Her voice sounded neutral almost distant to him but Chakotay followed her orders as always in the last seven years. He took the seat and inhaled deeply knowing what course she would tell him. A course she had told once Tom Paris when they had started their journey through the Delta Quadrant. 

Kathryn walked slowly back to her commanding chair and sat down. Her eyes still fixed on the viewscreen with all the other Starfleet vessels as she ordered her first officer the coordinates. 

“Set a course for home.” The sentence left calmly, but yet emotionally, from her lips. Her eyes were a mirror to her soul, but Kathryn was an expert at hiding her true feelings. All spectators on the bridge would have thought that her emotions were a result of their homecoming. No one knew that the sadness in her heart was covered officially by the overwhelming feelings of their returning. 

While Kathryn watched the nearing Earth, Seven left the tactical console and headed to Chakotay laying her hand on his back and making eye contact to him. She didn´t noticed that the man, she had been dating for some weeks, felt uncomfortable the moment her hand touched his back. 

Chakotay turned his head around lightly and saw for a second the shock in Kathryn´s eyes. He didn´t know if Admiral Janeway had told her younger self of his relationship with Seven but the look in Kathryn´s eyes told him that she knew it already. In his mind Chakotay condemned himself that he didn´t have had the courage telling her about his decision.

Chakotay turned back to the helm, his mind was a mess and his heart a mixture of guilt, disappointment and self-contempt. 

“We shouldn´t do this here.”, he whispered to Seven who immediately removed her hand from his back. 

“Let me bring us home. We´ll see to us later.” Chakotay didn´t give her a look and faced instead the viewscreen. 

“Agreed. See you then.” Seven was surprised by his behavior. She couldn´t classify it but accepted his wish and headed back to the tactical station on the handrail.

***

One and a half hours had passed since they had entered the Federation space and Kathryn had ordered Chakotay to fly at warp two giving the Federation and above all their families time to assimilate the information of their arrival and time for preparations. The message of their return was a positive impact for all and everyone needed time to let sink in the news.

Kathryn had been silent the whole time and had begun to write her report for Admiral Paris. She wanted to be done with it soon and then have time to visit her newest crew member on sickbay. 

While Kathryn had been busy with her work, Chakotay´s mind had been confronted again and again with Kathryn´s shocked eyes the moment Seven had laid her hand on his back. He had come to a conclusion and asked Ensign Brooks to take the helm for a while. Then he walked to the bridge´s center and stood directly in front of Kathryn.

“It´s time for a break. I think we have to talk about something.” He chose his words with caution. 

Kathryn raised her eyes in surprise and put the padd into her lap.

“Maybe you´re right.” Kathryn stood up, her face wearing her typical captain´s mask without any hint of her inner emotional turmoil, and handed the bridge over to Tuvok. Then she nodded to him with her head to follow her. 

In the last thirty minutes, while she had written her report, Kathryn had thought about a way to celebrate their arrival back in the Alpha Quadrant. She was sure that Starfleet would organize something, but she wanted something familiar without any unknown admirals and reporters. She wanted to end their journey celebrating with friends who became her new family.

While they both headed to the ready room´s door, Kathryn brooded over Chakotay´s reason for asking for a conversation. Maybe he had the same idea of a homecoming party and wanted to discuss this with her now. As the door closed behind them a fleeting thought popped up in her head: Perhaps he wanted to inform them all there about his relationship with Seven. Kathryn felt a stitch in her heart thinking about this situation and cast away the vision.

They walked into the ready room and Kathryn offered him to take a seat which Chakotay refused with a shake of his head. Silently he stood and watched the mixture of satisfaction and sadness flickering across her face as she put the padd on her desk.

Kathryn was the first who to break the silence by telling him about her idea of a spontaneous arrival party in the mess hall.

“I think Crewman Chell could be a passable surrogate for Neelix. His recipe of Chili con Carne is even better.“ 

Chakotay remained silent looking down to the floor. 

Hearing no response to her words, Kathryn lifted up her head facing her first officer with questioning eyes.

“Chakotay?”

He averted his gaze from hers before he took all his courage in both hands and opened his mouth.

“I saw the way you looked at me when Seven joined me at the helm,“ came Chakotay´s calm answer.

His words abruptly ended her enthusiasm. The smile on her face vanished as she felt again the strong pain in her heart remembering the scene in front of her earlier today. Kathryn tried hard to hold her countenance as neutral as possible but she realized how tears welled up in her eyes. As she couldn´t hold them back any longer she turned around and walked slowly to the couch facing the moving stars outside the window.

Chakotay´s gaze followed her. He had noticed the change in her features and knew that he had wounded her with his words deeply. 

More than five years had gone by since he had accepted her parameters on the planet they had once called New Earth. More than five years since he had admitted to himself that Voyager and its crew came first instead of their feelings for each other. And as time went by he had accepted that Starfleet dictated their lives above all Kathryn´s. He had never met someone who was so Starfleet to the core than this woman in front of him. A woman he had respected from the first moment he had seen her face to face. A woman so strong and brave, she could face down the Borg. From the first day he had served her, Chakotay had promised himself to make her burden lighter. This promise had never changed. But one thing had changed: Chakotay had accepted that they could never be more than friends as long as Voyager was on their way home which could have lasted more than seventy years. A long time for a man who dreamed of a partnership, a home and a family.

While he watched Kathryn’s back, Chakotay thought about the reasons why he had started to date Seven. He had longed to be loved by a woman and he had known that as long as the Alpha Quadrant was far away, Kathryn couldn´t be that woman. 

The longer he thought about it, the more miserable he felt. Had he been too selfish? Why couldn´t he wait? From the beginning he had believed that Kathryn would bring them home. But he hadn´t been strong enough, had given into his yearning for home and family and had begun to date Seven. Had it been some kind of revenge? Seven had been like a daughter for Kathryn. 

In Chakotay grew the realization that he had wanted to hurt her for placing Voyager above his feelings. This awareness pierced him to the heart and Chakotay felt fury rise within him. He clenched his fists as he realized what kind of bastard he had been.

Kathryn stood still motionless at the window as Chakotay walked behind her. Hearing him moving, she brushed the tears on her cheeks away with her palm. He shouldn´t see her so vulnerable. 

Seeing her sad face in the reflection of the window, Chakotay stood there for a moment unaware how to proceed. He commanded all his courage and breathed in as Kathryn with a tearful voice restarted their conversation.

“Who had ever thought that on the day of my biggest triumph I´d get my biggest defeat?” 

Her words hit him hard forcing his heart to miss a beat. 

“Kath..” His attempt to answer was only a stammer and interrupted by her next sentence.

“From all the possible women on board you´ve chosen Seven!” Her words left quiet but full of vulnerability her mouth. 

Kathryn turned around, her arms crossed and her blue eyes were an ocean full of tears. She fixed her gaze on him as she told him how deep he had hurt her.

As her words sank in, Chakotay realized the immense impact he had done to her. He felt paralyzed and didn´t immediately notice her movement. First as Kathryn was out of his sight, Chakotay awoke from his thoughts as he realized Kathryn had moved from his sight.

“Kathryn, please wait and listen to me!”, he begged her desperately.

“Why Chakotay? Everything is said.” Kathryn stopped but didn´t face him. Her voice was only a whisper almost not audible in the room.

Chakotay watched her small figure and didn´t remember that she had ever appeared to him so fragile. 

As he closed the distance between them he whished he could hold her in his arms and never let her go. An emotion grew inside his heart. An emotion he thought, he had had under control in the last years. But now Chakotay had to admit to himself that the feeling of losing her was an unbearable emotion.

“Everything hasn´t been said. Give me a chance to explain it to you.”

“I don´t want to hear it, Chakotay.” The sadness in her voice choked him but Chakotay didn´t want to surrender so fast. 

He walked around Kathryn and began to explain without her permission.

“All the years I accepted the parameters you set once on New Earth.” 

“Stop it, Chakotay!” Kathryn tried to walk away but Chakotay grabbed her hand and held her firm. She didn´t struggle or pull herself away. Kathryn knew that Chakotay wouldn´t let her go and she decided to stay and listen to his words although her heart screamed to run away. 

“First I was happy to be at least your closest friend. I treasured this friendship deep in my heart and enjoyed every moment we spent together. But the longer our journey took the more I realized that I can´t be alone. I longed for someone who loved me and that´s why I didn´t resist when women like Riley Frazier or Valerie Archer tried to kiss me. My soul yearned for the feeling to be loved. I knew that as long as we were in Delta Quadrant you wouldn´t break the parameters. You´re the most strong-minded person I ever met, Kathryn.”

Hearing his estimation of her person, Kathryn closed her eyes. He was so right, so damn right and she cursed herself for her stubbornness while she listened to him.  
“As time went by I discovered that an affair wasn´t what I really wanted. I longed for a steady relationship with a person who spent the whole life with me together, a person I wanted to marry and have children with me.”

Chakotay swallowed down the lump in his throat. He had noticed Kathryn´s postural change as he had mentioned the words “family” and “children”. He knew that he had to chose the next words very wise causing her not to run away. 

“When I noticed your feelings for Michael O´Sullivan I was so jealous of this hologram, but then I realized that this would be your chance for love and I accepted it heavy-heartedly. I wanted to see you happy, Kathryn! As Seven began to flirt and pursue a relationship with me I wanted this happiness for me too. I´m only human, you know.”

Chakotay lifted her chin to tilt her face up to him, so that their eyes met.

“Ok Kathryn, I´ll swallow my pride and tell you something! You´re the only one that I love. Ask me to go and I´ll leave you…forever. But if you still love me then say it. It´s your last chance, Kathryn.”

Her eyes never left Chakotay´s hearing his declaration of love, but she couldn´t answer him. Kathryn felt paralyzed and unable to tell him her feelings. 

The more the silence lasted between them the more Chakotay sensed some kind of anxiety. He wasn´t sure if he could handle the situation any longer. Her stubbornness disappointed him and in situations like this he missed the Kathryn Janeway he had fallen in love with years ago. 

Kathryn had lowered her gaze. She couldn´t look into his eyes any second longer. Her heart longed for him so much that it hurt, but her mind told her not to destroy Seven´s future. A future where she could gain her humanity back to one hundred percent. 

“Say something, Kathryn! I´m giving up on you.” His begging voice cut through the silence in the room.

A single tear escaped her eyes as Kathryn lifted her head making eye contact with him again. 

“You made your choice weeks ago, Chakotay. As long as you are with Seven, I can´t tell you about my feelings. I have to live with the decision you made. I wish you both all the best and hope she makes you happier than I did in the last seven years.”

The chirping sound of an opening comline stopped their conversation.

“Tuvok to Janeway. We´re being hailed from Starfleet Command.”

Clearing her throat, Kathryn answered Tuvok that she was on her way and left her ready room without any spoken word to Chakotay.

He watched her steps to the door and as it closed behind her, he felt lost. Chakotay didn´t move and thought about the last minutes of his life and the feeling he had felt most in this time, fear of loss.

In his mind grew an awareness and all of a sudden Chakotay knew what he had to do and tapped his combadge.

***

The mess hall was empty. Only pieces of confetti, spread over the floor, were silent reminders of the last family party, a family formed of former strangers.

Next to the window could be seen a small silhouette gazing at the blue planet outside the ship. More than 2.500 days she had waited for this view and finally she was there, back at home. 

Kathryn turned around, her eyes drifting over the room…Neelix´s galley, the couch area where she had sat to drink her coffee sometimes after her shift´s end and the little table where she had eaten often with Chakotay and the others. Her mind left the mess hall and wandered through all areas of Voyager…to the holodeck where she had enjoyed some holonovels or the presence of some fictional mentors like Leonardo da Vinci; to sickbay, a place she had tried to avoid so often during her journey and only visited when it was absolutely necessary; to engineering, the brain of the ship and finally to the bridge, Voyager´s heart and soul. 

Kathryn left the window and walked to one of the chairs, where she sat down and folded her hands on the table. Her days aboard Voyager were numbered. As the information sank into her mind, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was finally home but had yet to say goodbye to another home, a home she already missed as well as the people she had called family there.

The sound of an opening door jolted her out of her reverie. Naomi Wildman had entered the mess hall and seemed to look for someone.

“Captain?”, came the shy question from the opposite of the room.

“I´m here, Naomi.” Kathryn stood up and closed the distance to the girl.

“Commander Chakotay told me, I shall bring you back to the bridge.”

“Why didn´t he call me over the communication system?”

Naomi smiled at Kathryn and took her hand. 

“He said, it´s the duty of the captain´s assistant bringing the captain back to bridge for her last command.”

Kathryn swallowed down the lump in her throat and squeezed Naomi´s little hand lightly without saying any word. 

As they walked to the turbolift Kathryn watched the Ktarian girl and felt a sudden sense of enormous pride. Naomi had been the first child who was born aboard the vessel. She had to grow up in many dangerous situations and survived every encounter with hostile aliens. This child was a symbol of Voyager´s journey. Although Naomi was faced so many times with fear and death she had become a beautiful, intelligent and warmhearted girl. In some way she represented Voyager´s way home.

When they had arrived at the bridge Kathryn walked together with Naomi to her commanding chair and offered her assistant with a gesture of her hand to take the seat right from hers, as she gave Tom Paris the order to land the ship. 

While Voyager sank into Earth´s orbit Kathryn´s eyes were fixed onto the viewscreen. She couldn´t look to her left side where Chakotay sat. Seven wasn´t on the bridge which was unusual, but Kathryn didn´t want to waste any thought about Seven´s absence. She had to be focused on the next important step of Voyager´s return, the briefing with Starfleet Command and above all the reunion with their families. 

The thought of her family helped Kathryn to distract her from Chakotay´s presence next to her. She wanted to forget the conversation they had. She wanted to start a new life without the burden she had carried on her shoulders for so many years. 

As Voyager touched down gently on Earth´s surface Kathryn praised Tom´s landing ability.

“Not bad after all these years in space, Tom.”

“In the last seven years I´ve landed her sometimes, captain.” Tom turned around giving her a broad grin.

“But we can count the landings on a hand, Mr. Paris.”, came Kathryn´s amused answer.

“Touché Captain!” 

***

The next days were filled with countless briefings and also meetings with the press. Kathryn felt drained and tired. She had barely seen her family. Starfleet Command was so interested in their journey and way back home by destroying the Borg transwarp hub that private time was few and far between. Time with her family was limited and therefore Kathryn enjoyed every minute with her mum, her sister Phoebe and her sister´s husband. 

It was lunchtime now and Kathryn had two hours before the next briefing would begin. She had made an appointment with Phoebe in a little Italian restaurant not far away from Starfleet Command. It was situated in a little street and nestled with some trees hiding her from too pushy reporters looking for a brand-new story.

The public interest in Voyager’s crew, and especially the command duo, was high and Kathryn wasn’t able to cope with it.

“You look terrible, sis!” Phoebe unfastened the embrace and eyed Kathryn with a worried look. 

“Thank you, Phoebe. Good to see you too.” Kathryn grimaced and took a seat.

“Are you already regretting being back?” Phoebe hung her jacket over the chair and pulled the menu to her. 

“Do you want an honest answer?” Kathryn´s voice sounded exhausted causing her sister to look up from the carte.

“In the last few days I often thought about my life aboard Voyager and I have to admit that I miss it really. There I was the captain and didn´t have to justify the decisions I made. These admirals ask me questions about orders I gave and decisions I made for the benefit of my crew and now they questioning a lot of them. I´m tired of it already and there are still more briefings my crew and I have to endure.” Kathryn reached for two glasses and filled them with water from the carafe.

“In all these years there was no one who questioned your orders? You can´t tell me, Kathryn! You had a crew with more than 140 people, all with so many different opinions. There must be a lot of crewmembers who didn´t accept every decision you made. Every leader is confronted with criticism if it is in politics or in Starfleet.” Phoebe took one of the glasses and had a sip.

“I have to admit that there was a person who criticized me from time to time but at the end he and my crew accepted my decisions and supported them. Otherwise we wouldn´t have made it, Phoebe.” 

“By “he” do you mean your first officer, right? I remember dad´s saying: “A good captain needs a good first officer who tells her or him when she or he is wrong.” 

“You´ve missed your vocation. You should work as an imitator!” The sarcasm in her voice was audible for Phoebe. 

“Can we change the topic please? How is your work?” Kathryn took the menu from Phoebe´s hand and started to thumb through it.

“You don´t want to talk about him, do you?” The death glare on Kathryn´s face answered her sister´s question but Phoebe Janeway wasn´t a person who gave up too easily.

“But why? I met Chakotay twice the last week, the day you came back and three days later during one of your briefings. I think he is a really handsome man. You both would fit perfectly together.”

“Stop it, Phoebe!” Kathryn shut the menu with a whoomph. 

“Seems as if I hit a mark.”, came Phoebe´s provoking answer. 

Kathryn looked up from her menu and showed her sister an angry look signalizing her to end the conversation about Chakotay. 

Seeing the vulnerability in her sister´s eyes Phoebe was a little shocked. She hadn´t seen her sister so sad since their father and Kathryn´s fiancé had died in a shuttlecraft accident. 

Phoebe reached for Kathryn´s hands and encompassed them with hers. 

“I´m sorry. I didn´t want to hurt you. I put just two and two together.”

“What do you mean?” Kathryn faced her sister with a perplexed look.

“On the day when you and Voyager returned, mom and I were waiting on the landing field. You were the last who left the ship. And while I was waiting for you, I watched all the other crewmembers and their families and my eyes caught this beautiful man who left the ship a few minutes before you. He walked to a woman. They embraced and kissed each other. It was so wonderful to watch them.”

“Please Phoebe, shut up. I don´t want to hear things about Chakotay and his girlfriend.” 

“Girlfriend? No, I think it was his sister. She looked so similar to him with her dark long hair.” 

While the words sank within Kathryn´s mind Phoebe continued her story.

“And when you finally came down the platform his eyes never left you. He seemed to be so proud of you, Kathryn!”

“How do you know this?” The sadness in her voice was audible even for a deaf-mute. 

“I saw his eyes, Kathryn. They beamed like stars and were full of love. From time to time, he would whisper something to the woman and gesture with his hand into your direction. You know, that I´m good at reading the body language of people and I know when someone is in love with a person as well.”

“Yes, he has fallen in love, but not with me anymore. I had my chance, Phoebe, and didn´t used it.” 

“But maybe you get a second chance.” Phoebe stroked her sister’s hand with her thumb.

“I had it, Phoebe! It´s over! Why can´t you accept this?” Kathryn pulled her hands away from Phoebe´s touch. 

“The Kathryn Janeway I knew, didn´t give up so quickly.”

“I´m not Kathryn Janeway, I was seven years ago.”

“Unfortunately, not.” Phoebe reached for the menu and opened it. “Let´s get something to eat before Starfleet steals you away again.”

***

The door´s chime forced Kathryn to look up from the report she was reading. It was late and she didn´t expect anyone. Wondering who would interrupt her so late, she laid the padd on the coffee table and headed to the door. 

Kathryn wasn´t prepared for the person she faced in the moment she opened her door and lost her tongue. 

“Hope I’m not interrupting?” Chakotay said with a calm voice tugging his earlobe. 

They hadn´t talked since the moment Kathryn had wordlessly left the ready room. Four weeks had passed since then. They had seen each other at various briefings and interviews but Kathryn had avoided his presence as much as she could. Now she was forced to speak with him. The idea of slamming the door into his face was out of question, although something inside her wanted to hurt him deeply.

“It´s late,” she said in a neutral tone. 

“I´m sorry. I hope I´m not disturbing you reading some reports.” 

“Old habits, you know.” Her answer made him smile showing his dimples. 

Kathryn´s heart skipped a beat seeing his gorgeous dimpled smile she loved so much. 

“Can I come in?” 

Kathryn´s perplexed look on her face surprised him.

“I can come back tomorrow if it is better for you, but Phoebe told me that today you´re at home and don´t have any meetings.”

“Phoebe?” Kathryn´s eyes widened hearing her sister´s name. “How do you know my sister? It´s new to me that you even know each other.”

“We met last week in front of the Starfleet headquarters. We had a long conversation and she told me that you are unhappy with how we left things between us.”

Kathryn turned around and started to grumble about Phoebe over her involvement. Meanwhile Chakotay went in and closed the door behind him. He watched her gesticulation and had to smile. 

Kathryn turned and was faced with an amused pair of eyes. “What´s so funny?”

“Nothing! I just thought: She is acting like in the good old days when we had different opinions.” Chakotay´s smile vanished as he shortened the distance between them. 

“I miss you, Kathryn.” He linked his eyes with hers searching for an answer that she was missing him too, as Phoebe had told him. But all he could see was pure sadness.

“Why are you here, Chakotay?” Her husky voice was only a whisper.

“I´m here to talk about us.” He started to close the last two meters between them but was stopped by a gesture of Kathryn´s hand.

“Us? There is no “us” anymore. We aren´t colleagues as well as friends anymore. Although I wish you and Seven all the best, I can´t be around you. It breaks my heart, Chakotay.” Her voice broke and Kathryn took a deep breath before she continued. 

“You deserve to be happy and I´ll do everything to make sure that happens, even it means I have to lose you as friend.”

“But everything has changed.” Chakotay took a step forward fearing to lose control over the situation. 

“Listen to me! Four weeks ago, you told me that as long as I´m with Seven, you can´t tell me about your feelings. So, I had a long conversation with Seven after the party in the mess hall. We had spoken about our future. I told her my idea of a life in the Alpha Quadrant and she told me hers. Our perspectives were totally different which made it easier for me to tell her goodbye.” 

“I don´t want to be the second choice, Chakotay!” With a shake of her head Kathryn underlined her words.

“You didn´t listen to me carefully! Hearing that we have different ideas of a life together, Seven realized that I wasn´t the person she wanted to be in love with and so she ended our relationship. I didn´t have to do it. Don´t understand me wrong, I wanted to end this relationship but I wanted to do it for Seven as easy as possible without hurting her too much. Till this day she´s thinking that she ended up our relationship.”

Kathryn´s heartbeat stopped for a second and all her blood vanished from her face realizing the meaning of his words. 

Chakotay reached for her hand, afraid that Kathryn would pull away from him. But she didn´t. 

“Here I am Kathryn. We aren´t in the Delta Quadrant and you don´t have to carry the burdens anymore. We are free. The parameters don´t exist anymore. Let us restart our relationship, as friends and lovers, if you want to. But please say something this time to me.”

Kathryn lifted her head and linked her eyes with his. All his emotions lay there in front of her, handed to her on a plate: desire, fear, separation anxiety but above all love. Seeing his undying love for her in his eyes warmed Kathryn´s heart and this time it was she who swallowed her pride. Kathryn squeezed his hands lightly and released them then while her eyes never left his face. 

“I won´t give up on you this time!”, she said, and pulled his head down to her with her hands and kissed him gently on his lips.

As her lips met his, Chakotay felt a satisfaction he never had experienced all the years. Before he lost the physical contact with Kathryn, Chakotay pulled her into an embrace and his right hand started to caress her cheek, he bent forward brushing his lips on hers.

Kathryn clung to him and felt how their kissing got more and more demanding as a feeling of thousands of butterflies spreading through her belly told her that she did this time the right decision. 

 

Epilogue

Two years had passed since Voyager had returned from the Delta Quadrant. A lot had happened since then and the life of the former crew had changed. 

The Doctor had continued to fight for holographic rights and had reached a great victory on the court. He and all the other EHMs had gotten the status of a specific lifeform allowing them to have almost the same rights as real humans. 

Harry had been promoted to lieutenant and worked together with B´Elanna and Tom at Utopia Planitia. While Harry, B´Elanna and some other engineers of Voyager were busy developing a new propulsion system for a planned brand-new type of ship, Tom worked as a test pilot for the associated shuttle series. Miral had grown up to a cute toddler looking like a little copy of her mother. She was the apple of her parents’ eyes and loved to spend time with her grandfather Admiral Paris. Miral had been the symbolical glue ending the tense situation between her dad and grandfather. Her existence had forced both men to spend more time together which had helped them to clear up their former problems and misunderstandings.

Tuvok had recovered from his illness and worked as chief of security on one of the Deep Space Stations giving him the opportunity to see his family more often.

Neelix fulfilled his duty as ambassador of the United Federations of Planets brilliantly. Thanks to him the Federation had gained already twelve planets of the Delta Quadrant. Besides he had been the whole time in contact with his friends, he called still family, and took his role as a godfather for Naomi seriously. The little Ktarian girl had grown up to a beautiful teenager in the last two years. She lived together with her parents in San Francisco and couldn´t await going to Starfleet Academy. Therefore, she often visited Icheb on the academy and talked with him about interstellar phenomena and temporal anomalies. Icheb was now in his second year and already the best cadet in his class thanks to his lessons learned aboard Voyager.

Icheb spoke often to Seven via transmission system. She was on a deep space mission with the USS Fearless to the Beta Quadrant looking for the renegade former Borg drones. Starfleet Command had given the order to detect them, form a coalition and amplify their knowledge with Starfleet´s. Seven hoped to find under all the renegades her former lover Axum and get a chance to rebuild their relationship. She had detected that her attempts dating Chakotay were just a replacement for her feelings for Axum. The Doctor had told her that it had been a normal human behavior and that she didn´t do something morally reprehensible. As a matter of fact, it had been another step back to her humanity. 

Today was the second anniversary of Voyager´s return. Almost the whole crew were standing already in front of Starfleet Headquarters, only Seven, still flying through the Beta Quadrant, and the commanding duo were absented. 

“The last time, I was late, I ended up with a re-promotion to lieutenant and I was only twenty-two seconds late.” Tom grinned broadly and looked over his shoulder for his former captain and commander.

“Well, Janeway is already an admiral but maybe Chakotay will be promoted this time to captain.” B´Elanna grimaced and caused Tom and Harry to laugh.

“Captain Chakotay, sounds good to me!” Harry joked and lifted Miral up to his arms giving her the chance to have a better look over the crowd. 

“Sweetheart, can you see Aunt Kathryn or Uncle Chakotay?” Miral´s eyes wandered over the people and shook her head.

“It´s unusual for them to be late.” Tom added with a shrug.

“A baby changes everything, Lieutenant! I thought, you should know this better.” The Doctor had listened to their conversation and remembered Tom how his daily routine had changed since Miral was there. 

“I would say, Miral has changed your life totally. Captain Proton isn´t available at any time Buster Kincaid would like to meet him on the holodeck.” Harry chuckled and poked him in the ribs. 

“Ha, ha Harry. Time will come when your time is limited thanks to a child and…”

“Ah, there they are.” B´Elanna interrupted Tom´s attempt to justify himself and headed for Kathryn and Chakotay.

“Sorry, we are a little late but our little girl asked for her meal earlier than usual.” Chakotay welcomed B´Elanna with a huge embrace. They hadn´t seen each other since Kathryn´s baby shower two months ago. 

“Hello big guy, you don´t have to apologize. I´m so happy to see the three of you.” B´Elanna turned lightly and embraced Kathryn being careful not to wake the little bundle in her arms. 

“She has just fallen asleep.” Kathryn dandled her daughter and waved to Tom, Harry and the Doctor who approached immediately with Miral. 

The three men welcomed warmly their former commanding duo and eyed the baby. Tom, B´Elanna and Harry saw Elisa Hope Janeway for the first time face to face. The Doctor had been at Kathryn´s and Chakotay´s side during birth and helped to deliver the baby three weeks ago. He had also done the medical check-ups in Elisa´s first days of life.

Kathryn pulled down the blanket a little so that the baby´s face could be seen much better.

“She is so adorable, Kathryn!” B´Elanna padded Kathryn´s upper arm while watching the sleeping child in her former captain´s arms.

Thank you, B´Elanna!”, sounded the voice of a very proud and happy mother.  
“Such a cute girl. Look at this little mouth.” Harry pointed at Elisa´s tiny lips. 

“Definitely Chakotay´s!”, B´Elanna said and jogged Chakotay´s elbow. 

“But the color of hair is obviously the Captain´s…I mean the Admiral´s.” Tom corrected himself causing a smile on Kathryn´s face.

“I would say, she is a perfect mix of her parents. With this gene pool Starfleet has another good cadet for the academy. The Federation´s enemies should better watch out. In about twenty-five years the next great captain will lead a spaceship and wipe the smirk off their faces.” Harry kidded around making everyone laugh. 

“I would like to see the baby too!”, came the impatient voice from Miral who reached her arms up to her father asking him with this gesture to lift her up.

Suddenly the little bundle in Kathryn´s arms started to move. Miral´s loud request had woken the baby.

“Hello tiny captain. How are we today?”, welcomed the Doctor as Elisa opened her eyelids slowly.

“May I introduce you, guys: Elisa Hope Janeway!” Chakotay beamed all over his face introducing his firstborn to his friends.

“Hope? What´s a meaningful addition.” Harry smiled at the baby.

“Chakotay wanted to add her this second name.”, said Kathryn and stroked Elisa´s cheek gently. Her eyes glowed the whole time showing her love for her daughter obviously for everyone around her. 

“I thought it represents the feeling we had all during our journey in the Delta Quadrant and the emotion I had when I had visited Kathryn in her flat trying to restart our friendship and love.” Chakotay watched his wife and daughter during his words and felt something growing strong inside his heart...thankfulness. He was so indescribably happy with his family and remembered the times back in the Delta Quadrant when he had dreamed of a moment like this. 

As Chakotay looked up, the rest of the crew had rallied round the small group and welcomed Kathryn and him congratulating both on their daughter. 

The harrumph of Admiral Paris standing at the top of the Starfleet Headquarters stairs together with other admirals silenced Voyager´s crew. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to the second anniversary of your return. I know some of you haven´t seen each other for a while, but when the official ceremony is over I promise you, you´ll get enough time to talk to your friends. But now, would you please come with me?” Admiral Paris waved with his hand to follow him and walked inside the building.

After the speeches of Admiral Paris and Vice Admiral Hayes were done and the musicians had played their last song, Kathryn had been asked if she would end the official ceremony by saying something. Kathryn was surprised but affirmed the request by a nod of her head. 

Getting up from her chair Kathryn handed Elisa to her husband, who winked at her encouragingly, and walked to the stage. As she stood behind the desk, Kathryn took a deep breath and started her speech.

“Nine years ago, we were faced with a situation none of us had dreamed of. Two different crews in an unfamiliar quadrant far away from home.“ Kathryn stopped and thought for a second how do proceed. She searched Chakotay´s eyes and saw there the answer to continue. 

“Who had ever believed that we, once stranded as strangers in the Delta Quadrant, would become a family. A family which went through good and bad times but never lost sight of hope reaching the impossible…being back home again. During our time in the Delta Quadrant we lost some of our family members. Every single one of them had done their best for the benefit of the crew. We all know this. To all of them who didn´t make it with us: You´ll be always in our hearts and will never be forgotten.” Kathryn lifted her glass and glanced at her former crew, her heart full of emotions.

“To our journey!”

“To our journey!”, resounded the voices of over 140 people raising their glasses.


End file.
